Anyone grow up on Ritalin?

ADD my A S S wrote:

people just need to control there kids. you make them focus. i beleive this south park clip will give you all the info one would need

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYkHYibMoFg

Sir-- if helping my child were as easy as slapping her, I would do it until my arm fell off...

back in my day my parents just gave me a good swat in the face...that settled me down real fckin quick.

Concerned dad.

If you read REAL scientific research, as I must being a med student. You know that evidence based medicine does support the drug and the likes of it. However, I have a professor that is doing a WORLD research project with other leading researchers and the only true way to determine ADHD or ADD is through brain scanning, all other ways just get some or most of the children.

Bottom line. It is starting to be believed that MANY if not a majority of cases for this are misdiagnosed and it is hard to tell exactly what the long term affects of ritalin has on the body for one that does not truly need it. That is why this is becoming a leading research topic as millions of kids are on it.

Concerned Dad, do you show your daughter affection, and listen to her problems?

OIEJ--that has nothing to do with ADD. ADD is not "caused" by anything. By Definition (meaning federal laws 94-142, P.L. 101-476, IDEA 97, and all the others) if there is an external cause it cannot be ADD.

Video games don't cause ADD. They do tend to exacerbate ADD symptoms, primarily because they provide instant rewards and are loud and have flashy lights, which kids with ADD tend to like.

You know, we did this to parents of autistic children in the 50's, 60's, and even the 70's. We blamed them for their children autism, caused by having "cold mothers," and various other factors that brought on their child's autism. We know better now.

ADD is neurologically based. That's why doctors use drugs. The reasoning is the medication can control the neurons in the student's brain and students can then regulate their own concentration and behavior more easily.

ADD can sometimes be controlled to greater or lesser extents by drugs. Educational interventions (specific teaching techniques) can often be very successful. The problem is finding teachers who understand ADD and know the appropriate techniques.

I'm a special ed. teacher (have a master's degree), and my training in ADD was woefully inadequate. General ed. teachers usually get no training whatsoever. The teachers who know what they're doing usually have a lot of experience with it and have sought out information on their own--they've read the research and the books, and have gone to workshops, and have tried what they've learned with their students. It takes patience. There are many general education teachers that pretty much resent ADD students because they're disruptive in class (there's a great book on it called "Maybe You Know My Kid").

Dealing with ADD is an uphill battle for most parents. Having a very structured life helps to control it, but does not cure it.

Research Mel Levine, MD. He's done more to move ADD teaching technique ahead further than anyone else.

We have a son, now 11, who was diagnosed with ADD two years ago. We noticed that he was very active at a young age, but didn't observe any real problems academically until he hit fourth grade. His grades started slipping b/c the work was more difficult. He has had trouble with impulsiveness and often gets in trouble for it. He started becoming very frustrated and angry in school and would refuse to do his work. We finally decided to have him tested, and he was put on Concerta pending a final diagnosis. Two years later, we are having more extensive testing done b/c where he did wonderfully on the Concerta for 1 1/2yrs. his grades started slipping again. We upped the dose 6 months ago, and he started becoming a very picky eater, even though he was hungry. He is also having some anger issues, and we are concerned he may be depressed as well. These are some of the side effects of Concerta or any stimulant-based drug.

After his new round of testing is complete, we are thinking of asking to switch to Strattera to see if that helps. Even with the side effects of Concerta, there is a world of difference on whether he can stay on task and control his impulsiveness. The days he is off of it, he is a bear to live with!

I have several friends who have children with different LD who are on very specific diets and have had success, including a child who is autistic.

Exercise is extremely important, and there have been studies that have shown that the repetitive activity of swimming is very good for children with ADD. It helps to center the brain processes. BTW, Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Ian Crocker have ADD! The person who listed all the good aspects of ADD is correct about Einstein and Edison as well. Their teachers actually told the parents they were "unteachable"!

Getting the proper testing is extremely important, even if you have to pay out of pocket. We didn't the first time around, and now we are having our son tested for other LD as well. Also, my niece was having some symptoms of ADD, but testing showed that she is actually gifted and doesn't have ADD. There are many forms of LD out there, and it's important to know how your child's brain works (or not) so you can tailor their education to their needs. We are still trying to figure our son's out.

I would ask for a low-dose, all-day, slow releasing drug like Concerta or Strattera as Ritalin typically lasts 4-6 hours, and you end up having to send your child to the nurse's office to get another dose(not good for self esteem).

Best of luck to you-you are the parent and you know your child as well as anyone!

I talked to my wife about this thread a little bit. She is a licensed school psychologist. She said not all ADD drugs are stimulants, and perhaps your child would do better on a drug that is not a stimulant.

She also said you'll see a difference, once he's on medication, if 4 or 5 days. If a drug is not working, you can take him off it after a very short trial.

Troll Expert wrote:

I did not; but have a niece who did. She's 15 now and has been taking it for years. And it's my understanding her parents have never told her she's taking Ridalin. They've just told her ir was a vitamin. She was extremely spastic and obnoxious pre-Ritalin. She's still pretty high strung; but she's definitely mellowed w/ age and the onset of puberty.

that cant be good for her down the road- trust issues and what not.

And some more:

I kept saying "he," but we're talking about your daughter, aren't we.

Has she seen a doctor? ADD is a doctor's diagnosis. Classifications like learning disabilities (LD) and others are educational classifications made by school psychologists (not medical doctors). With an educational label (like LD), you have an individualized edcuation plan (IEP--or with a similar name, depending on your state). This helps students to have their needs met.

If you have ADD, you do not get an IEP, but qualify for protection under Section 504 of one of the civil rights laws. Professional educators know all about Section 504. This will ensure she gets accomodations, so she can be successful at school.

But get the doctor's diagnosis first. That's the first step. If she is diagnosed with ADD, the school should provide appropriate accomodations for her (under the heading of Section 504).

Testing, if she needs it, is free. If you need more after the first test (done by the school), that also can be free. Remember that your child has many rights you may not be aware of. You also have the right to appeal with an impartial hearing officer not affiliated with the school if you disagree with the school's findings, at no cost to you. Appeals are very expensive for a school district, and most will do anything to help your daughter before they let things get to the appeal stage. Your rights are protected by federal law.

If you have any more questions or concerns, please come back, and we can help you.

This magazine ADDitude gives pros and cons of medicating kids with ADD/ADHD.

It's a good read and will help you make good decisions as well as give you good suggestions for home and school accomodations.

DON"T DO IT!! I'm a middle school teacher, and I daily deal with children who were diagnosed "ADHD" or "ADD" and they are literally useless in the classroom. They are zombies...an empty shell of who they were prior to the Ritalin.

I think you would be doing your child a disservice by putting her on Ritalin simply to calm her. She may be hyper after school because she has to sit quietly all day and gets little to no activity during a normal school day. It would probably do her some good to have recess a couple of times a day!

It's important to remember that Ritalin doesn't calm anyone. It is a stimulant that is supposed to make it easier concentrate (kinda like drinking coffee). It doesn't work for everyone, but it has worked for some. A good doctor will at least understand how it's supposed to work and which child it is best for--maybe not Ritalin but maybe some other drug, or maybe no drugs at all. At least get a medical diagnosis and a treatment plan as it is a medical problem (neurologically based and not behaviorially based). Teachers are not qualified to diagnose ADD (I'm a teacher). Even school psychologists, who are trained to diagnose everything else in school (learning disabilities, emotional impairments, cognitive impairments, etc) do not diagnose ADD. Only a medical doctor can tell you if your child has ADD.

Remember too that ADD/ADHD kids often do not sleep well, stay awake most of the night (even in bed) and then come to school exhausted and appear to the teacher to be zombies. It's hell for the teacher and hell for the kid.

In my experience, only a small percentage have been the low-energy types. Most of my ADD/ADHD kids are very hyper, talkative, and disruptive, and cannot focus on their work long enough for them to learn and have successful experiences in the classroom.

Okay. Just talked with my wife (school psychologist). She said children who appear to be zombies and are a shell of their former selves are usually over-medicated. Doctors usually start on the lowest dose possible for the child's age/weight and then work up (to greater dosages) to increase effectiveness. Once they are over medicated, the drug is not working like it is prescribed to work, and the dosage is usually lowered.

The reason why I asked Concerned Dad if he showed his daughter affection is because he talks about her as though she was like a car with engine trouble. I find his posts, and the cold analyses somewhat disturbing.

OIEJ wrote:

The reason why I asked Concerned Dad if he showed his daughter affection is because he talks about her as though she was like a car with engine trouble. I find his posts, and the cold analyses somewhat disturbing.

Sorry if I sound cold-- I'm an electrical engineer by training. When something is wrong, you analyze the system to fix it. Input/response is what EE's do...

Yes-- our daughter is loved. The best evidence I can see for that is the way she treats her younger siblings. She's simply a great older sister.

Even there, though, her activity level comes through. For example, she babysits our youngest (13 months old) by dancing/tumbling around the living room for him. She'll literally fly off the sofa, cartwheel across the living room, and bicycle kick her legs up full speed. He cracks up and will watch her go on like this. The two of them can do this for over an hour without stopping.

I can't scold her for having too much fun with her brother, but at the same time, the sheer amount of energy coming out of the girl is shocking...

9.5 hours of sleep per night may not be enough when she is enrolled in so many activities. Maybe she is getting overtired. You might try bumping it up to 10 hours and see what happens.

Let's face it 6-7 hours of classroom time per day would make anyone edgy. I'm glad that in my job I can get up and move around whenever I feel like it. We homeschool our two pre-teen daughters and they have lots of opportunity to get up and stretch between assignments, play with their toddler brother, and pick on each other. This regular recreation plus a lot of personal attention in their learning has really helped them focus and learn. Otherwise the older one would probably be labeled a troublemaker. She's not a great still-learner but more of a hands-on learner.

Yes I add, subtract, divide. Why do you ask?

Was this post started to taunt me? I'm not a psycho!!! Dont beleive them!!!

So she is a natural athlete, who gets bored and distracted in class. That sounds good to me. Nurture the athletic and gymnastic talent, Academia is probably not for her.